A Trip Through Words
by TheBloodyFiend
Summary: After finding a mysterious book, Selene and her friends Mina and Jamie find themselves aboard the Sirius ship with pirates! What will happen to them in a new world and what will become of the life they used to know?


Selene sat staring at her cell phone. The sleek phone showed no sign of contact for the last three days. She debated why she even needed the thing when no one ever bothered to call or text her. Looking up from the contraption, she surveyed the bedroom of her small apartment.

The walls in the room were bare of decorations, such as posters or pictures, like the rest of the rooms. The queen sized bed had rumpled sheets and a dark green comforter thrown on top. There were no knick knacks on the dresser. Her space was empty of any sign that a person lived in the place beyond the occasional dirty dish and messy bed.

The only things in the apartment that showed any of Selene's personality were the bookshelves in the living room. They were a rich brown wood that was free of dust and dirt. The shelves are crammed full of books in all shapes and sizes. The books were all worn and seemed to be well used. The authors were such writers as Poe, Shakespeare, Whitman, and Hemingway. There was the occasional Koontz or Hopkins but most of the books were from a different century.

Sliding the phone back in her pocket, Selene grabbed her bag and coat, and left the barren apartment. Pulling on a green and black knit hat, she descended the stairs rapidly. Opening the lobby door, the December wind caught her long chocolate-brown hair, blowing it in her face. Temporarily blinded, Selene shoved it out of her green eyes as she headed to the book store.

Quickly making her way down the crowded sidewalk, Selene jumped as her phone suddenly went off, blaring a loud rock song. Checking the caller I.D., she answered. "Hey Jamie, where you been? I haven't heard from you in days."

"Sorry, I found a new boy toy to distract me for a few days." There was a light laugh on the other end of the line. "I barely got out of bed."

Selene chuckled. "You would think by now you could find something better than a distraction."

"What can I say? None of them can hold my attention." Selene could practically hear her shrug. "Anyways Selene, did you want to come over and celebrate me being single again?"

"I'm headed to the bookstore and was going to swing by Mina's place."

"Then bring her with!" Jamie stated happily. "She's a riot when she drinks." Laughing she declared, "I won't have any excuses. I expect both of you to be here to party." With that, she ended the call.

"Great." Selene muttered as she headed in the store. The store was a small brick structure on the corner lot. Opening the door, the bell chimed. The large glass window that made up the front of the store had the name Brandie's Books in gold calligraphy over a hand painted image of a red-bound book. The other three walls had floor to ceiling bookshelves crammed with books of all shapes and sizes. Some were old others new. Most shelves were several books deep to accommodate the vast amount of literature.

The floor space also had several bookshelves spaced evenly in the space. Several of the bookshelves on the floor had books stacked on top since there was no room on any shelves. In front of the glass sat the main counter where Brandie browsed through some new books. Waving, Selene walked by and browsed the shelves. Seeing several new books, but none in her price range, she walks deeper into the store.

Suddenly a flash of bright color caught Selene's eye. Among the browns, blues, and greens of the usual books sat a baby pink paperback. Curious Selene picked it up. The cover boasted bubblegum pink flowers surrounding a group of pirates. There was no title or publishing information on the title. The book was so out-of-place that Selene had to wonder if it was ordered by accident.

The men on the cover looked to be in their twenties. They were arranged so that they were all in a different pose but facing the same way. A few sat on a barrel, some crouched and some stood. Behind them was a version of the Jolly Rodger she had not seen before. There was a star-shaped eye patch on the flag.

Feeling oddly compelled, Selene snatched up the book and carried it to the front counter. "Hey Brandie, how much is this pirate book?" Selene asked feeling embarrassed to be caught with the frilly book.

"Hm. I've never seen this book before." Brandie looked it over. "I haven't seen anyone bring it in either. Why don't you just take it? You're my best customer, consider a Christmas present from the store." Brandie pushed the book back to Selene.

"Thanks Brandie. See you next week." Selene grabbed the mysterious book and headed down the street to Mina's apartment. Turning the corner after several blocks a squat brick building came into view. Ivy clung to several sections of the three-story building. Balconies were allotted to the second and third floor while the first floor had bay windows.

Nearing the building, Selene calls Mina. As soon as she heard the connection take, Selene spoke, "Hey, I'm here. Buzz me in." The door buzzed as the she hung up the phone. Taking the stairs to the third floor, Selene's mind drifted to the book she just got. She just couldn't wrap her mind around why she bought something so out of character for what she normally read.

Knocking on Mina's door, Selene mentally shook herself out of her thoughts. Opening the door, a woman about Selene's height opened the door. Her long black hair was up in a clip to keep its weight off her neck. She wore a simple white shirt and a pair of faded jeans. Her grey eyes sparkled when she saw her friend in the door.

Mina smiled. "Hey girl. Glad to see you." She stepped aside to let Selene in. "What did you want to do today?"

"Well Jamie insists we go over to her place to celebrate her being single again."

"How long did this one last?"

"She said a few days, so longer than most." They burst out laughing at that. "Honestly none of the guys we find around here are worth the time we give them." Selene sighed, shaking her head.

"True, how hard is it to find a decent guy?" Mina stood for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. Shaking her head, Mina said, "We better head over to Jamie's place before she gets restless and finds another distraction." Laughing, they headed out the apartment.

A short time later they arrived at Jamie's house. Before either woman could knock, the door swung open, revealing a woman the same height as Mina. Her curly auburn hair was up in a messy bun. Her clear blue eyes shone with mischief as she grinned.

"Great you're both here. Let's celebrate!" Jamie proclaimed, sweeping the two stunned women through the door. They walked down the hall of the posh home. They took a seat on the brown suede couch as Jamie went into the modern kitchen to grab a bottle of white wine and three glasses.

After pouring them each a glass, Jamie raised her glass in the air. "A toast to the three most gorgeous single women in the city." She stated dramatically.

"Cheers!" they called in union draining their glasses. Jamie poured them all a refill.

"So Selene, did you find anything interesting at the book store?" Jamie asked reclining further on the couch.

"Kind of." Selene took a sip from her glass.

"What's it called?" Mina asked brightly.

"I'm not sure."

"Did you suddenly forget how to read?" Jamie teased.

Miffed, Selene replied angrily "No. the cover is blank."

"Calm down, I was just messing with you." Jamie waved a hand in the air as if she could wipe away her comment.

"Well, why don't we take a look at it? I'm sure there is something on it."

"Alright." Selene set her glass down and opened her pack. Placing the book on the table by the wine bottle, the women looked it over. "See the cover is blank." Selene stated.

"There has to be something. They usually want you to know what they are selling and who made it." Mina said. "They don't make books without titles to sell." They continued to check the front and back cover, finding nothing. They sat back, sipping their wine.

"Hmm." Jamie contemplated the book. "So we know there's no title on the cover." She set down her wine glass and picked up the book. "The title must be inside." Jamie opened the cover and suddenly everything went black.

* * *

Selene felt like she was flying in the dream. The wind was whipping her hair behind her like a cape. Going this fast, she felt like laughing. Enjoying the feeling, she was soon claimed by the darkness again.

* * *

Russell sat in the crow's nest of the ship, lazily polishing his swords. The breeze ruffled his hair when he stood up suddenly. Something sparkled in the distance, catching his eye.

"What the?" Russell looked and saw three figures falling head first towards the water. Sounding the alarm, Russell rapidly descended the mast and met the rest of the crew on deck. The six Sirius crew members stood for a moment looking at each other.

"What's going on Russell?" Thomas, the youngest crewman asked.

"There are three people falling off the starboard bow and they seem to be unconscious." Russell panted, attempting to catch his breath after his mad dash down the mast.

"How far?" Eduardo the navigator asked, mentally plotting a course.

"Not far. They'll probably hit a hundred meters from us." He shrugged. "Give or take."

"If the impact doesn't wake them they'll drown." Christopher, the ship's doctor, stated. "Captain we have to help them."

The captain stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His brow furrowed as he thought. Suddenly he laughed. "Of course we will. So long as they follow the rules and mind their manners." At that, the crew took off to start preparing for the rescue.

"When they hit the water, Thomas, Russell, and I will get them. Doc, prep the infirmary for them. Nathan, they'll probably need something to eat when they come to. Keep it light. I don't feel like having to clean up a mess."

The captain shouted orders as the crew dispersed. Pulling out his spyglass, Morgan contemplated where the trio would land precisely. "Adjust our course three degrees starboard, Eduardo. We don't want them landing on the deck." He stated.

"Aye, Captain." Eduardo adjusted the heading as directed.

"Drop anchor here." Morgan declared. "They should land a couple of meters from the ship and we can snag them. Thomas, Russell. Are you ready?"

"Aye!" They cried right as the three falling bodies hit the water. They dived into the ocean. Soon they surfaced, each supporting an unconscious woman. Morgan looked at the woman in his arms. She was slim, with brown hair plastered to her. Looking at Thomas, he saw the lad supporting a woman with black hair. Russell had a redhead in his arms.

Morgan laughed. "My prayers have been answered! It's raining beautiful women." Still laughing, he followed the others to the ship.

* * *

Selene slowly drifted awake. She felt like a child being rocked to sleep by her father. She suddenly sat up realizing her bed was actually rocking. Looking around, Selene began to panic. The unfamiliar room was made of polished wood. The walls boasted shelves containing jars and bottles with questionable substances. In the middle of the room on an island, there was a chemistry set that looked like something out of Frankenstein's laboratory. The thought was not comforting.

Selene saw Jamie and Mina asleep on two of the beds in the room. Gingerly, she stood and promptly fell back on the bed. Making a second attempt to stand, she felt a draft. Looking down, she realized she was she was wearing a large shirt that she had never seen before. She'd been stripped!

Wobbling she walked over to where her friends slept. "Girls, wake up! I think we've been kidnapped." Selene whispered frantically. Jamie and Mina sat up and looked around groggily. Suddenly their eyes widened.

"Where are we?" Mina whispered, looking at Selene.

"No idea. I just woke up a minute ago."

"What happened to our clothes?" Jamie demanded. Before Selene could answer someone else answered the question.

"We had to remove them so they could dry. I'm sorry for that, but we couldn't have you ladies getting sick so soon after coming on board." A deep male voice said behind them.

Turning, the three women looked at the speaker standing in the doorway. He was tall, mid to late twenties and gorgeous. The white shirt he wore was a big contrast with his dark chocolate skin. His brown eyes were warm and caring as he looked over the women. A friendly smile curved his full lips in an enticing way.

The women could only stare as he continued. "Your clothes should be dry shortly. Are you ladies hungry? Our chef has prepared a nice soup to help warm you ladies up." They could only nod in reply. "Then as soon as your clothes are dry someone will take you to the dining hall." Bestowing them with one more smile, he exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" Jamie's sudden comment made Mina and Selene jump. "Did you see him?"

"Yes we saw him. Down girl." Selene replied.

"I am not a dog!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Then stop drooling after him like he's a hunk of meat."

"I was not drooling." Jamie grumbled with a pout.

"At least he was nice." Mina said with a blush. "And he did say that we would get our clothes back soon."

"True. We should still be careful until we know where we are and how we got here." Selene said. They nodded in agreement. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Someone called timidly.

"Who are you?" Jamie demanded. "You don't sound like the guy who just left."

"You mean Doc? He asked me to bring your clothes since they're dry. I'm Thomas." He answered matter-of-factly.

"I would like to change into something less revealing." Mina muttered under her breath.

"Fine. Come in." Jamie sighed.

"I need a break." Selene sat down as the door opened. A young man about their age walked in with a stack of clothing.


End file.
